Duck Pasta is a rich, flavorful and exquisite dish that will please any palate! Juicy duck meat is cooked in a creamy, savory sauce and tossed with tender pasta. Every bite of this elegant meal is one to savor, and better yet, it’s ready to enjoy in 30 minutes!
Creamy duck pasta is a treat in every way. It’s as elegant as our Lobster Pasta with Creamy Garlic Sauce and makes a beautiful (and easy!) date-night-in dinner. We use sous vide duck legs (or any leftover duck dinner) to prepare this delightful dish, which is one of the features that makes this recipe a breeze.
Whether you choose tagliatelle pasta, fettuccine or linguine, that creamy sauce and the tender chunks of duck will elevate any pasta!
Why this Duck Pasta Recipe Works:
This recipe is also perfect if you’re looking to make pasta with leftover duck. Roasted Duck Legs or Roasted Duck Breast are superb, with a rich, dark meat that has a delicious flavor. Duck meat is on the fatty side, which means all of that flavor gets infused right into this pasta sauce.
Our duck pasta recipe is:
- Easy and elegant
- A sophisticated and unique pasta dish
- Perfect for special occasions
- Deliciously flavorful with loads of aromatics and tender duck meat
This recipe isn’t as quick to make as our chicken tortellini Alfredo or our Spanish pasta recipe but it is perfect for slow casual weekends when you have a little more time.
The Ingredient List:
To make this duck pasta, you will need:
- Cooked duck legs or leftover duck meat
- Olive oil or vegetable oil
- Dry pasta. We recommend tagliatelle, fettuccine or linguine.
- Duck fat.
- Shallots, chopped
- Garlic, grated or minced
- Dry white wine
- Duck broth or chicken broth
- Heavy cream
- Butter
- Salt and pepper
- Lemon and lemon zest
- parsley
How to make Duck Pasta:
With a 15-minute prep and 15 minutes of cook time, duck pasta is a dish that’s doable on any night! Start with cooked duck, whether it’s leftover from last night’s dinner or cooked just before making this pasta dish.
One ingredient that makes this pasta so flavorful is the duck broth. If you’re using sous vide duck legs, strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve and reserve it for later.
If you’re starting out with leftover duck meat or a store-bought duck confit and you do not have any extra broth, use store-bought duck broth or swap in chicken broth.
Here is a look at the process. For the full, printable recipe card with ingredient amounts and extra details, scroll to the bottom of the page.
- Cook the duck legs: Duck legs are tough and need a long cook process to render out the fat and make the meat tender. We used duck legs previously cooked in a sous vide.
- Cook the pasta.
- Make the duck pasta sauce: After you finish the sauce, stir in the duck meat and add the lemon juice.
- Serve: Serve in pasta bowls with lemon zest and chopped parsley.
Remember to scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details.
The sous vide method is perfect for duck legs, you can cook a big batch of them then strain the broth/fat into a jar for a future project like this dish of Duck Pasta.
Tips for Success:
- You can purchase frozen duck legs confit and duck meat products in the frozen meats section of most major grocery stores. To make confit-style duck legs, you can also use a sous vide immersion cooker.
- If you’re starting with leftover duck meat that doesn’t have any extra fat, you can purchase store-bought duck fat to add to the dish. Save every ounce of the duck fat and duck broth as it’s full of flavor. If you have less than 1 cup of duck broth, supplement with chicken broth, white wine or water.
- If you have previously-prepared sous vide duck legs and froze them in their broth, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator.
- Any long-strand pasta can be used in this dish. Make sure to liberally salt the water when boiling the pasta. A general rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon of salt for every 2 quarts of water.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Duck has a distinct, rich flavor that is closer in taste to red meat than it is to chicken or other poultry. Since duck has a higher fat content, it’s juicy, moist, and flavorful.
When it comes to side dishes that pair well with duck, you have options galore! Sides that you would typically serve with chicken or red meat will often compliment duck, as well.
Our Salade Lyonnaise with Poached Duck Egg, No-Knead Focaccia Bread and Roasted Asparagus are just a few side dish ideas that would taste delicious with this duck pasta.
Enjoy this savory, creamy duck pasta! It’s an exquisite meal that’s perfect for any occasion.
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Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love:
For a complete meal dinner suggestion try serving this duck pasta with our roasted beet salad, and freshly baked rye bread with some herbed olive oil dip. Finish the dinner with an elegant dessert by serving either mini goat cheese cheesecakes or raspberry white chocolate mousse.
Our recipe for Sweet Potato Waffles, Duck Eggs and Smoked Salmon makes an elegant and delicious meal for brunch. The flavors pair beautifully and the rich duck eggs are such a treat.
This pasta dish is sure to become a staple in your house! Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells are comforting, cheesy, and incredibly easy to make. All you need is a side salad and some crusty bread to scoop the sauce out of your plate.
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Duck Pasta
Ingredients
For the Duck:
- 2 cooked duck legs or leftover duck meat see notes
- 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
For the Pasta
- 6 oz. dry tagliatelle pasta fettuccine or linguine
- Salt
For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons duck fat
- 2 medium shallots chopped
- 3 cloves garlic grated or minced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup duck broth or chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ lemon
- Lemon zest
- Parsley
Instructions
- If using sous vide duck, strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve and reserve the broth. If you are starting with leftover duck meat and you don't have extra duck broth, you can use store-bought duck or chicken broth.
- Pat the moisture from the duck legs, brush lightly with oil.
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and place the duck legs skin side down and cook until the skin is crispy about 5 minutes. Flip over and brown lightly. Remove from the skillet, transfer to a cutting board and when cool enough to handle, remove the crispy skin, chop it and set aside. Strip the meat from the bones, and cut it and the meat into bite-size pieces. Reserve the meat and skin.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, add the duck fat to the skillet set over medium heat. When the fat is melted, sauté the shallots until softened then add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Pour in the wine and cook for 1 minute to burn off the alcohol. Pour in the reserved duck broth (or chicken broth) and the cream. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, until the sauce is reduced and slightly thickened, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the butter.
- Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper accordingly. Stir in the reserved duck meat and squeeze the juice from the ½ lemon over the meat.
- Drain the pasta and add to the skillet tossing until coated with the sauce.
- Divide into pasta bowls and garnish with lemon zest, the crispy skin and chopped parsley.
Notes
- Frozen duck legs confit and duck meat products can be purchased in the frozen meats section of most major grocery stores. You can also use a sous vide immersion cooker to prepare confit-style duck legs.
- If you are starting with leftover duck meat that does not have any extra fat, you may want to use some additional store-bought duck fat for extra flavor.
- If you have previously prepared sous vide duck legs and froze them in their broth, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator.
- Save every drop of the duck broth and fat as it is full of flavor. If there is less than 1 cup of broth, add chicken broth or water.
- Fettuccini, linguine, spaghetti, or any long-strand pasta can be used in this dish. When you cook the pasta, make sure you liberally salt the water. Use at least 1 tablespoon of salt for every 2 quarts of water.
- If you would like the sauce thicker, you can make a cornstarch slurry using 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon of water. Whisk that mixture into the sauce.
- The crispy skin garnish is optional.
JJ Holly
Wednesday 17th of April 2024
What an awesome recipe! I had a store-bought pre-braised duck sitting in my fridge for a week and thinking of what to do with it. Turned out a perfect 10, thank you very much. My only question was about the skin - wasn't sure what to do with it.
Pat Nyswonger
Friday 19th of April 2024
Thank you so much for trying out the recipe and sharing your fantastic feedback! I’m thrilled to hear it turned out perfectly for you. The crispy duck skin can be chopped and added to eas serving as part of the garnnish. I have made this adjustment in the recipe card.